M: [finishes first coat of nail polish] Uh, where were we? What was the last thing you said.

J: [repeats]

M: Right! Yes. So, the movie. Um. It was amazing. Did we figure out who wrote it? Because otherwise, the only outright obviously Atlantic Archipelagoan aspect is once again Mr. Farrell, who was - for once - quite likable, I daresay.

J: One of the many things that made this movie unexpectedly fascinating. You're right, Mr. Farrell doesn't really count on our overall brogue...

Okay, okay, he counts. Barely.

M: No, I mean he counts...

J: Right, he counts, but he's so...

M: But he's it. We've been there, done that.

J: I wish. But I digress. I think we did actually determine that the director was British and relatively well-known... [pauses for Google] Martin McDonagh?

M: Uhh... does it say anything else he's done? I think he wrote and directed. And then I think the Colin Farrell screenwriter character was supposed to be some loose... yeah, because I think his name is even Marty in the movie.

J: [back to Google] He has British AND Irish citizenship.

M: It's the best of both worlds. He's like the Hannah Montana of the UK. Or the Atlantic Archipelago, I should say. [sings] The beeeeest of both worlds!

J: And yes! That is the main character's name.

M: So basically, this movie was a really good pick on all accounts.

J: I remember seen trailers for it and not particularly wanting to see it, but I'm so glad I had the excuse, because it was fantastic.

M: I think we even watched the trailer right before we watched the movie, and I was like, "Meh. I feel like we've seen it all." But the movie was so much more.

J: Christopher Walken alone completely sold this movie for me.

M: That man is a national treasure.

J: Someone call Nicholas Cage.

America's national treasure, holding a small dog andreading a pamphlet.

M: [laughs]

J: And Sam Rockwell...

M: Oh man, I adore Sam Rockwell. And just about everything that he's done. Have you seen Moon yet?

J: [looks quizzical]

M: You gotta see Moon.

J: Will do!

M: I think David Bowie's son directed it. Just puttin' that in there.

J: So, very generally, what was this movie actually about?

M: Whew. Well. Generally it's about this guy named Mahty. He's Irish, he may or may not have a drinking problem, and he's also allegedly a screenwriter of some sort that is struggling to not only finish but begin his current script, entitled Seven Psychopaths.

J: This is one of those great films that crosses the line between character's story and the story itself.

M: I feel like there's a literary term for that that we're just missin' right now.

J: In any case, it quickly becomes clear that the Seven Psychopaths of Marty's script are actually...

M: Very real indeed.

J: And that may be because the script characters are more or less "given" to him by characters in the movie, making the overlap more obvious, but it's still really well done, in the end. There were a couple of psychopath plot lines that were unfortunately brief, but for the most part, everyone's character felt really well-developed. Did you have a favorite psychopath?

M: Would that be revealing too much, to even divulge?

J: Perhaps... How about a favorite character?

M: Wow. That is difficult. I'm not sure I could pick.

J: There are quite a few to choose from. I think I'd have to go with Christopher Walken, just because of his voice. It's shallow, but true.

M: That voice is a thing of beauty and art and all that is right and good in the world.

J: An iconic piece of American history.

M: As I said, a national treasure.

J: Tip of the cap to you, Mr. Walken.

Camping, a national pastime.

M: Oh! Can I also point out that this film had an exceptional soundtrack. Multiple songs by the Walkmen, including my favorite.

J: It is a good thing you're here, because I always fail to notice cool things like that. Which one is your favorite?

M: It's called Angela Surf City.

J: Well we should listen to it! To Spotify! I'd also like to point out that more or less the entire plot of this movie revolves around a stolen dog. That is all.

M: [laughs]

J: Okay, we need to finish this, and we can't do it while listening to music, because it's too good.

M: Yes! Okay.

J: Anything else you'd like to add about Seven Psychopaths? We've got a qualifying director and main character, excellent input from our national treasure, Christopher Walken, an interesting collection of plot lines, and awesome music. What more could you want?

We can explain...

A hundred years ago, when we were in high school, we bonded over our mutual love of Irish culture. With a little hard work and one traumatizing Student Senate experience, The Irish American Club was born!

Though the club accomplished nothing more than holding a St. Patrick's Day bake sale (which funded some seriously rad t-shirts), we're back again for another try. This time, it's different (we swear!).

We recently spent a year studying beginning Irish Gaelic at the Irish Cultural Center in Kansas City, Missouri. We also both own laptops and enough expendable income to find and view plenty of movies. Then there's the matter of all the time we've discovered we have since graduating from college...

Bottom line: Blog with a Brogue is a chance for us, and you, to delve a little deeper into one of the things we find most fascinating about Irish (or any) culture: the accent. In this blog, we're featuring accents from the Atlantic Archipelago, which includes Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England.

Sit back, grab a pint of your favorite beverage (if it's in a pint glass, it counts), and enjoy!